Addiction

Question 1

What can addiction be defined as?

Answer 1

• progression from normal to excessive engagement in practices people enjoy/feel compelled to do
• often with harmful results
• a social construct

Question 2

What does the abnormal part of addiction vary within

Answer 2

• social groupings
• geographical location
• time in history

Question 3

What are the main psychological mechanisms in drug dependence?

Answer 3

• classical conditioning
• operant conditioning
• automatic behaviours
• positive reinforcement
• negative reinforcement

Question 4

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 4

• a neutral stimulus elicits a response if its associated with an unconditioned (biological) stimulus
• forms an association between 2 stimuli
• works when primary reinforcement is consistent
• cues trigger craving

Question 5

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 5

• forms an association between a behaviour and its consequence
• strength of behaviour modified by punishment/reward
• drug feeling rewarding to an individual

Question 6

What are automatic behaviours?

Answer 6

• behaviour leading to reward
• dopamine release in core of nucleus accumbens
• ‘if in same sitatuon I would do it again’

Question 7

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 7

• behaviour leading to pleasurable sensations are likely to get repeated

Question 8

In drug taking what are positive reinforcements?

Answer 8

• pleasurable sensations
• satisfaction of biological needs (cocaine and nicotine reduce hunger)
• social reinforcement (group membership)

Question 9

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 9

• behaviour that stops/avoids negative sensations fast so likely to be repeated

Question 10

In drug taking what are negative reinforcements?

Answer 10

• reduction of habitual stress levels
• reduction of acute distress
• reduction of withdrawal symptoms

Question 11

Why does withdrawal discomfort normally occur?

Answer 11

Due to neuroadaptation during drug use

- when not used, creates a negative reinforcement for using the drug

Question 12

Why are classical conditioning, positive and negative reinforcement different?

Answer 12

Do not require insight/conscious decision

- behaviour simply triggered by craving bypassing most of cognition

Question 13

What does individual sensitivity to positive drug effects depend on?

Answer 13

• biological and genetic factors
• expectancies
• high stress levels
• absence of other sources of pleasure/gratification

Question 14

What does individual sensitivity to negative drug effects depend on?

Answer 14

• biological sensitivity to drug after effects
• intensity to withdrawal discomfort
• reactions to withdrawal discomfort

Question 15

What are the effects of addiction of personality and mental health?

Answer 15

• sensation seeking/impulsivity
• social deviance (being able to cope with peer pressure)
• anxiety/depression
• ability to cope withdrawal discomfort

Question 16

What are the social and environment factors of addiction?

Answer 16

• access to drugs
• social acceptability of drug use
• facilitation

Question 17

What other factors contribute to the addictiveness of drugs?

Answer 17

• speed of delivery (injecting vs. snorting)
• concentration (beer vs. spirits)
• presence of other facilitating chemicals
• prohibition/war on drugs

Question 18

What treatments are available for addiction?

Answer 18

• detoxification
• adversion therapies (Antabuse)
• motivation therapies (groups, AA)
• CBT for coping skills
• drug substitutes (methadone, NRT)
• treatments for withdrawal relief
• abstinence focused treatments have limited efficacy and efforts usually lost to relapse